A Tribute to Kraft’s Cheesasaurus Rex and the Dairy Fairy

By Heather Taylor

Who’s ready to get cheesy? We’re taking a stroll back through ‘90s memory lane with some of our favorite Kraft brand mascots: Cheesasaurus Rex and the Dairy Fairy. They’re the cream of the crop to us — let’s get to know them better!

In 1991, the animated Cheesasaurus Rex made his debut representing Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. A friendly orange dinosaur, Cheesasaurus Rex was passionate about all things noodle-y and coated in cheese. He originally introduced himself to fans with his own theme song, “Ma-acoroni and cheese ma-acoroni and cheese oh, the cheese, it may be phony but that’s real macaroni in the ma-acoroni and cheese!”

A couple of years later, his tagline would shift to “When the cheese starts flowing, Kraft gets your noodle going!” Like many mascots of the 1990s, Cheesasaurus Rex was depicted as pretty active despite being extinct. He enjoyed trips to the beach, sporting events, and even performing at his own concerts. In this commercial spot from ad agency J. Walter Thompson Chicago, Cheesasaurus Rex rocks out to screaming fans in Noodletown, records a “Cheese Me” music video, and even wins a Grammy made out of cheddar!

Where has Cheesasaurus Rex gone since then? He can still be spotted in commercials for Kraft along with a new tagline as he munches on the savory blue box noodles, “Cheese me!”

As a dinosaur enjoyed making waves inside kitchen cupboards everywhere, a magical bovine was taking over household fridges. It was none other than the Dairy Fairy, an animated cow with wings that sprinkled a little fantasy fun inside every package of Kraft Singles.

Laura R. Oswald, author of the book Marketing Semiotics: Signs, Strategies, and Brand Value, wrote that the Dairy Fairy campaign began in 1996 and ended in 1998. It marked a unique, new kind of narration where roles of parents were cut to a minimum and children took over.

In this commercial spot, an older sister explains to her younger sister how five ounces of milk go into every slice of Kraft Singles. Naturally, it’s the Dairy Fairy flying into the kitchen and using a magic wand (plus milk) to make the cheese we know and love today.

While we might not see much of the mascot now, the campaign then was a big success with adults and kids alike. Maybe one day we’ll see a throwback to the Dairy Fairy floating back into Kraft Singles commercials!